The Kingdom of Three

Do You Want to Play 'Clue' or 'Just the Tip?'

The Case of the Curvy Chameleon

Following the rumor mill of the Lucky Barrel, the Bodnock Saints traveled to Darwen Cross to discover what might have happened to the wizard Naldrin, his apprentice, and his tower. A quick visit to the local tavern revealed that something was a little out-of-place. A couple of days before the arrival of the Bodnock Saints, the tower had exploded and a dark rider was seen riding away. Beyond that, the citizens of Darwen Cross were clueless. Baffled but not discouraged, the Saints also met a dingily attired wizard, who came to seek tutelage from Naldrin, Content Not Found: badok. Badok suggested pooling his resources with the Saints to find out what really happened at Naldrin’s Tower. Resolved, the group was prepared to search the ruins, but were thrown off by a strange man who at once appeared to be in the tavern but in the next moment was gone and replaced with a nondescript girl.

The girl, feeling the eyes of the four, began to make for the door with Badok in hot pursuit. While Badok attempted to track the girl, the other Saints sat in wait; however, Killian Hargrim sought relief from his wounds sustained in his fight with Magra the Vile from the local temple and bade the group to go on without him. He would remain in Darwen Cross until the group had found its answers, and he was feeling better.

Badok continued his pursuit but eventually lost the girls trail in a crowded street. Seemingly without any place left to go, Badok reconvened with the group, and the three allies decided to investigate the ruins. After convincing the Drifter guards to let them investigate, Badok found magic residue scattered across the site like glitter. Although the group was able to find a few magical trinkets, the only real clue they were able to find was the detonation site that leveled the tower. After a while, onlookers stood at the property’s edge. One of the onlooker, a suspicious, red-mustachioed figure, made a retreat as the group approached, but with a little magic and some crafty arrow shooting, he was foiled. Unable to escape, the red-headed man revealed his true identity: Lyssa, Naldrin’s apprentice!

It Was a Really ‘Hot’ Act

After her capture and some questioning, Lyssa revealed that she was asleep when the attack came, and her last memory was seeing Naldrin raise a shield around her as the tower tore apart and she blacked out. She hinted that Naldrin was onto something big, which may have invited trouble, but she was not ready to reveal exactly what until the Saints were able to gain her trust. Lyssa’s friend, Maugrim Oakwarg, a journeyman wizard was being held until his execution for being found guilty of immolating an Ihmisian noblewoman at a trade dinner.

The group agreed to look into it, but time was running shirt for Oakwarg: with two days of travel to Firewine Crossing, they would only have one day to conduct an investigation before the wizard was killed. The Drifters and many of the guests at the dinner seemed skeptical of Maugrim’s ability to kill the noblewoman but stated that someone would need to be sacrificed to appease the Ihmisan visitors and try to maintain some diplomacy.

The Saints began their investigation, and after some questioning of servants and nobles alike, they were able to track down a servant from the Ihmisian envoy, who was behaving suspiciously. The servant Tip was avoiding the governor’s mansion and had been seen shuffling around the docks, where the Ihmisian adviser to Lord Raysdan of Furain, Ellesar Montrain was also looking for Tip. Hoping to entrap Tip, the Saints set up a high stakes game of dice. Once Tip made his appearance known, the Saints tried to catch him for questioning, but they were forced into greater action once Ellesar and his escort attacked Tip.

After a scuffle at the docks, Ellesar demanded the arrest of Tip, but not before Tip raised some suspicion of his master, Ellesar. Attempting to pursue the truth, the Saints returned with Ellesar to the governor with the intent of speaking to the High Lord of Furain. The governor, however, refused their request stating that they had accomplished their goal of freeing Maugrim Oakwarg and they had someone who would take the punishment for killing the Lady Mallora. Maugrim, freed, sent an animal messenger to Lyssa to proclaim his safety and the role the Saints played in his freedom.

A Bit of Back and Forth

Back in Darwen Cross, Lyssa thanked the Saints and revealed more details into what her master was studying. Naldrin had been researching rumors of The Three Kingdoms and specifically, a tome which might initiate the next move of these dark agents that had been plaguing the Riverlands: Darnissa’s Tome of Ruined Existence. According to Lyssa, the tome is rumored to lie in the Castle of Broken Worlds, deep in Hoorstone. Lyssa also stated that the book could be used to revive Naldrin, and with his help the group would be able to route and defeat the enemies that lurk about.

With this information, the group made for the dangerous, monster-ridden Castle of Broken Worlds, working deeper into the ruined elven citadel in hopes of finding Darnissa’s Tome.

The ADG then forged north and along the road encountered an overturned wagon being ransacked by bandits. Although the ADG attempted to rescue the caravan guards and had slain the bandits, both of the guards died in the fight. Moving farther north, the ADG encountered more blockades, and finally the sieged town of Bodnock. The town itself was a burned out hull of what it once was. Homes were burned to the ground and lawlessness ruled the streets, but upon closer approach, the group was met by a kindly watchman, who called himself Gareth.

Gareth explained that his friends had retaken the town with the help of their leader Gideon, who was living in Wygarthe Manor, and the bandits had fled for the forest until they could stage another attack. When asked about Bennigar, Gareth shared the news of Bennigar’s death during the recapture of the town. He also went on to say that the ADG’s help would be much appreciated and their assistance against the bandits would remove any doubt that the ADG had anything to do with the downfall of the town.

Meeting with Gideon, the ADG were invited to help the villagers fight, and the two in alliance staged a surprise attack against the bandits. When the assault finally came, Black Knife and his men were overwhelmed by the organized town. Moving behind the bandits, Eberk attacked who he believed to be Black Knife, only to learn that the bandits were, in fact, Bennigar and the rest of the villagers. The force that held the town and made alliance with the ADG were none other than Black Knife and his men. Realizing their folly, the ADG switch sides mid-battle and turned the tide of the fight in favor of Bennigar and the villagers. Black Knife was slain and the last of the bandits were killed off before given the chance to flee.

Somewhat begrudgingly, Bennigar thanked the ADG, but to clear their names and start fresh, the group changed their name to the Bodnock Saints. Bennigar invited the Saints to rest in the town for the evening, and shared news that Dorgo was rumored to have frequented the Lucky Barrel as of late in the town of Abersmith.

This is Only a Drill… Axedrill, That Is

After an epic battle in the streets of Bodnock, the Bodnock Saints travelled to the Lucky Barrel to investigate the rumor that Dorgo could be found there looking for muscle. Sure enough, in a corner of the tavern sat a suspicious-looking dwarf smoking a pipe of Pefer’s Peach tobacco. A little more skeptical after the events in Bodnock, the Bodnock Saints were reluctant to approach Dorgo, but after some conversation, Dorgo had the group agree to attend to a problem that had been dogging him every evening outside the bar.

Around the corner of the tavern, Dorgo was outed as a fraud by a group of teen-aged urchins. In reality, this “Dorgo” was a dwarf by the name of Manus Axedriller, who had been bullied by the boys for some weeks. The “Dorgo” moniker was adopted to inspire others to join him, but Manus also said that the real Dorgo was gaining respect where Manus got none. Manus also said that if the opportunity presented itself, he would join Dorgo because Dorgo was someone that instilled fear and respect, so much so that people of Abersmith were beginning to call Dorgo the Dissenter Dorgo the Dark.

And For My Next Trick…

With the trail on Dorgo coming up dry once again, the Bodnock Saints waited to hear news of wrongdoing from the rumor mill at the Lucky Barrel. After a couple of days of drinking and smoking, Runefiss Bloodbeard, the barkeep of the Lucky Barrel shared news that the tower belonging to the wizard Naldrin of Darwen Cross had been leveled in an explosion and wizard and his apprentice disappeared.

It's Frostmoot. The Days Should Be Getting Brighter.

Rumors surrounding the Wygarthe family abound and stretch across the Riverlands. From the sanctuary of The Shattered Book you have learned Bodnock has been completely abandoned by her residents, leaving it a ghost town, inhabited only by bandits brave enough to stick around and loot the empty houses. Traffic from the north into Greendell has slowed practically to a stop, and travel all around has become much more cautious and fearful.

Among the whispers, a guard from Ashenford tells of a dark envoy traveling across the ford into Drummyn. “A man concealed by a dark cloak—evil eyes and a hollow voice. Paid handsomely to enter the gates, but I didn’t feel like I could tell him no if I wanted to. He asked for passage to Madkroken. He had two others with him. Pale-skinned fellows that didn’t say a word.”

Besides this particularly disturbing tale, you’ve kept your ear close to the ground for rumors of Dorgo, but so far that well of information has run dry.

Or Do They Do It for the 3?

A Summons to Easttenroath

While whiling away the long days and nights of Frostmoot in The Shattered Book, The Apple Dumpling Gang had been summoned to help a minor baron of Ihmisia, Bertram Miller, in finding his abducted daughter.

The envoy guard tasked with hiring our heroes, took the Apple Dumpling Gang to the small village of Easttenroath where they quickly learned that many teenage girls had been abducted but no one had responded as of yet. The party attempted to stake out the village and Lia Lightwind, the ADG’s war priest volunteered herself as bait; however, the stakeout failed. Pursuing other avenues, the group learned from a local farmer, Coster, that whoever or whatever had taken the girls came from the north, most likely the elven Ruins of Nimthyr.

A war party of orcs and an ogre under the guidance of an orc troll shaman was responsible for the abduction of the farm girls, but Baron Miller’s daughter, Jenyfer was not to be found among them. The ADG freed the girls and allied themselves with a warrior among the mix of farm girls, Thora Tarkanan. With the captive orc troll shaman, the ADG headed back to Easttenroath to bring Baron Miller the bad news.

Coincidentally, the return of the village girls softened the abrasive Coster, who revealed himself to the ADG as the abductor of Jenyfer. Jenyfer, seeing the error of her father’s ways agreed to be escorted to the next village shortly behind the ADG and Baron Miller’s envoy on their way to Greendell.

The Village of the Damned

Feigning to Baron Miller to seek the aid of their patron, Reald the Red, in Greendell, the group was stopped short in Bodnock by the mayor, Gerhardt Wygarthe and his guards. Gerhardt explained that his village had recently come under the attack of the undead, and that many of the village guards and militia had been killed and he required all the help he could get. The ADG was forced to reveal their ruse to Baron Miller who was later reunited with his daughter. Miller paid his reward to the ADG but swore that the ADG would forever be treated as criminals and thieves within Ihmisian borders.

The ADG spent the night at the gates of town fending off the dead as they pushed through the borders of Bodnock. Come morning, Wygarthe informed the adventurers that half of the remaining guard had been dispatched and this was by far the worst attack they had seen. After some investigation and a visit to Reald, the party learned that the dead began their siege of the town after Dorgo, a repellant dwarf that travels the countryside, befriended and brought a painting to Wygarthe’s daughter, Jolline, (similarly, a coded letter found from Easttenroath was signed by the dwarf). The ADG returned to Bodnock in great haste.

Under the practiced brushstroke of Jolline, she sought to restore the painting. As the ADG sought to obtain and destroy the painting, the town was once again assailed by the undead. Wraiths and zombies pushed at the walls and boarded windows of Wygarthe’s manor. Unfortunately, the attack had ended with the death of Wygarthe and the capture of the painting. Jolline, distraught over the death of her father, revealed that Dorgo had sent her a letter and the painting. She knew full well what Dorgo’s plans were, but they had never involved the death of her father.

Jolline led the ADG to the tomb of Magra the Vile, which was sealed; however, as if timed for their arrival, a death knight cleaved through the tomb door and entered the woods between Abersmith and Bodnock. Killian Hargrim moved to attack, but was stabbed and knocked unconscious by the restored Magra. Thora, Eberk, and Lia unsure what to do, began to mobilize with Jolline, but Magra cleaved the girl in two . Discretion being the better part of valor, the ADG fled, leaving the powerful Magra and his wights to their own devices.

Baffled

Shaken by the experience at Magra’s tomb, the ADG sought counsel from Reald the Red, who issued a warning and another summons: the ADG should find Dorgo to learn more about the letters and the seal used on them- three crowns upon a field of black.

Unsure of where to begin looking, the ADG looked to new adventurers and pursued a cursed paladin, Redrig, who had slain several caravans traveling through Darwen Cross. Redrig was quickly destroyed and the cursed sword was buried next to the road where Redrig was killed. Reaching a dead end of sorts, the ADG returned to The Shattered Book to once again seek the advice of their patron and hope for Dorgo to tip his hand enough to reveal his next move.

A Backstory of Hitting Rock "Bottom"

The Apple Dumpling Gang had been adventuring together for a short time—mostly small time work: hunting goblins, tracking bandits, etc. Things had been going well until Merla Shortcloak, your company’s thief, was exsanguinated by a scything blade trap in a kobold den. This misstep not only left your group mournful, but it also garnered the attention of the Silver Griffins, Ihmisia’s country guard (They don’t look on random deaths very well). Your activities were deemed illegal; all adventuring companies must register with the local lord in Ihmisia, and you were forced to flee or face trial.

Fortunately, freedom was easily found in the north in the Riverlands. But you have been slow to take to adventure since the loss of your comrade. However, Winterdale is abuzz with adventure, and the busiest place for adventurers is at The Shattered Book in Greendell, the capital of Winterdale. Eager to take up the sword again, you sit under the roof of the retired hedge wizard, Reald the Red, waiting for opportunity to walk through the door.

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.